Harness.



' No. 7o|,e59. Patented lune 3,1902.

f A. WOOD.

HARNESS. (Applicatign filed sept. 9. 1899., (No Model.)

UNITED STATES' 'PATENT OFFICE.

rMarano, WOOD, or FoLKEsToNn, ENGLAND.

HARNESS.

`SiPFAJIFICATIIION formingpartof Letters Patent N o.` 701,659,.datd June. 3, 1902. Application filed september 9, 1999. sesam. 729,909. (No model.)

'To all whom, t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED WOOD, carriage-builder, a subject of the Qneenof Great Britain, residing at Fairlight House, Folkestone, England, have invented certain new and usefullmprovementsin Harness,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in fastenings for harness of the kind in which the traces, pole-pieces, or other parts of the harness may be expeditiously disconnected and the draft-animal thereby readil'yreleased from the vehicle or other object to which itV is harnessed, and has for its object to secure increased safety and efficiency combined with simplicity of construction and the reduction of the liability of the parts to corrode.

According to my` invention .I- employ a fr p curved or bent arm (the curved end of which is secured to the trace, pole-piece, or other required part of the harness)"in combination with a' sliding ringer band provided with a loop, which sliding ring or band is located on V the trace, pole-strap, or other part of the har ness. A spiral spring or its equivalent (preferably of non-corrosive metal) is entirely int closed in a cavity formed in one lmember of the fastening and actuates a bolt-which coperates with a slot or recess formed in the other member ofthe fastening.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, I

will now proceed to describe the same more,

fully with referenceV to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of one form of device made accordingto my inven! tion, showing the bolt and springin elevation. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line a:

Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 arelongitudinal sectional viewson line y y, Fig. 1, of bentarms for use with trace-studs in double harness or with singlehorse traces andpole-straps, respectively, showing the special formyof cavity forthe bolt and spring k,shownfin Figs. 1 and.2. bolt which may be used withy the devices shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9 show modifications of bolts and springs for* fitting into the cavity in the curved arm. Fig. 10 shows the end of a trace provided with my Fig. 5 shows an alternative form off stud.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 5, a is `the curved arm to which the trace or other part bi of the harness is secured. a/ is a cavity inthe free end of the arml a., and c is a bolt arranged to slide in this cavity. d is a spiral spring which is situated withinthe cavity aand tends to thrustout the bolt c. The cavity aisformed right through the armfa.. The y bolt o'and said cav-ity is then closed by a dovetail piece ct'X," which fits a corresponding groove in the rarma and may be soldered or brazed in posiltion. e is a band or ring sliding upon the trace or other part of the harness to which the arm dA is attached, and having a loop e', provided with a slot e2, with'which the bolt c normally engages. The bolt c is provided with a lng or projection c oneach side thereof, which loosely fit 'corresponding recessesv ,a2 in the cavity-a. These 'recesses serve to support lthe spiral spring d andform shoulders which operate inconjunction with the movement of the bolt c. The bolt'c normally 'passes-'through the slot e2, andwhen it is required to release the trace or other part lof the harness to which the invention is applied the said bolt is pushed up into the'cavity a', and the` loop e is then slid 0E the end of the arm a. The corners of the'boltcare rounded, and the ends of the slot c? are alsorounded, so as to facilitate the loop e being slid off the arm ct, as aforesaid.

In the forms oli' springs and bolts shown in 'Figsi 6, 7, 8, and9uth'e cavity a' in the arm on is formedwithont any recess therein, and the bolt c has no lugs or projections thereon, such as c', in the foregoing figures. In place of such recess and lugs or projections the bolt in Fig. 6 has recesses ft","engaging withz ixed stops g, to limit the movements ofthe bltgand the bolts shown in Figs. '7, 8,*and 9 are each provided with a slot 11,' with .whichfa stop, `'such as g in Fig. 6, is adaptedto engage. The springs and bolts are insertedinto the open ends of the cavities a', and the stops g are then fixed in position. Each of the spiral springs may either be used singly or may .have another spring (preferably coiled in thek `invention and in engagement with a trace Ispring d are insertedin the cavity a', and the I :lugs ,or `projections c' to limit vthe outward IOC) opposite direction) placed within it, as shown in Fig. l, in order to afford additional strength. A headed pin (such as 7c, Fig. 6) may be inserted in the top of the spring or springs to prevent the lateral bending when the spring is compressed.

The bolt c is preferably arranged to protrude downwardly, so that even should the spring fail or break the said bolt would maintain its position by gravity and the fastening still hold.

The spiral springs can be made of non-corrosive metal, such as nickel, and by completely inclosing these springs in one or other member of the fastening they are effectively protected from mud, water, dac., and the fastening is consequently rendered more reliable.

Fig. l0 shows a trace-stud Z of the kind commonly employed with double harness and carried by the splinter-barm- A loop at the end of the trace is in engagement with the trace-stud Z, the band e being slidably mounted on said trace and the end of the arm a passing through the offset-loop e' and being retained in position by the bolt c, as above described. Should it be required to quickly detach the trace b from the stud l, even though a pull is being exerted upon the said trace, the bolt e is pushed upwardly into its recess a', and the band e is then slid along the trace b in the direction of the arrow, thereby passing the odset-loop e over the end of the arm a, and thus releasingr the trace Z) from the bolt Z.

l. A fastening for harness, comprising an arm member attached to the harness-strap, a band member adapted to slide on said strap,

.and a loose bolt adapted to slide in one ofl said members and to normally engage with the other of said members, substantially as described for the purpose specified.

2. A fastening for harness, comprising a curved arm member attached to the harnessstrap, a band member provided with a loop and adapted to slide on said strap, a loose bolt adapted to slide in a recess in one ofi said members and to normally engage with the other of said members, and means for retaining said bolt in engagement, substantially as described for the purpose specified.

3. A fastening for harness, comprising a curved arm member attached to the harnessstrap, a band member provided with a loop and adapted to slide on said strap, a loose bolt adapted'to slide in a recess in one of said members and to normally engage with the other of said members, a spiral spring for retaining said bolt in engagement, and means for disengaging said bolt against the pressure of said spring in order to release the fastening, substantially as described for the purpose specified. f

4. In afastening for harness, the combina tion of a curved arm attached to the harnessstrap and having a recess in its free end, a band adapted to slide on said harness-strap, a loop formed onsaid band and provided with aslot through one end, a loose bolt confined in the recess in the said curved arm and normally projecting into the slot in the said loop, and means for normally retaining the bolt in such projecting position, substantially as described for the purpose specified.

5. In a fastening for harness, the combination of a curved arm attached to the harnessstrap and having a recess in its free end, a band adapted to slide on said harness-strap, a loop formed on said band and provided with a slot through one end, a loose bolt confined in the recess in the said curved arm and projecting into the slot in said loop and a spiral spring inclosed in the recess in the curved arm for normally retainingthe bolt in such projecting position,suhstantially as described for the purpose specified.

6. In a fastening for harness, the combination of a curved arm attached to the harnessstrap and having a recess in its free end, a band adapted to slide on said harness-strap, a loop formed on said band and provided with a slot through one end, a loose bolt confined in the recess in the said curved arm and projecting into the slot in the said loop, a spiral spring inclosed in the recess in the curved arm for normally retaining the bolt in such projecting position, means forsupportingsaid spiral spring, and means for pressing the bolt into the recess in the curved arm against the force of the spiral spring in order to release the fastening, substantially as described for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 1st day of August, 1899.

ALFRED VOOD.

Witnesses:

WM. M. J ENNER, Jr., F. W. PIERSON.

IOD 

